


On The Run

by Diana_Raven



Series: Timkon Week 2019 [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Sharing a Bed, TimKon Week, heat vision is a plot device, oh no one bed what do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-20 05:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19986976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Raven/pseuds/Diana_Raven
Summary: After show-casing a symptom of Kryptonian magic, Prince Conner and Captain Alvin Draper are run out of his kingdom by his father Lex the Tyrant. But what Prince Conner doesn't know is that Captain Alvin Draper is really Prince Tim Drake of the Kingdom of Gotham and the old Robin of the Order of the Bat, a group bent on overthrowing Lex.





	On The Run

**Author's Note:**

> Heat vision as a plot device babey!!
> 
> Happy timkon week! So, I know GoddessofRoyalty said that we only have to do *one* of the proposed prompts but I hate myself so I decided to do both. 
> 
> Prompt: Fantasy AU & Sharing a Bed/Only One Bed

The heat of the tavern blasted Tim in the face when he opened the door, surprising him even though it shouldn’t have. The sounds of merriment and hearty meals were drowned out by the howl of the wind outside. He grabbed Prince Conner by the collar and pulled him into the tavern behind him. 

Conner let out a huff. He opened his mouth, probably to complain, and Tim spoke before he could. “Remember,” he hissed, “you’re not a prince here. Do what I say and don’t speak unless I tell you to.” 

Conner glared at him and made a rude gesture but stayed silent. Thank Rao. A word out of his mouth and it would be no doubt who exactly he was—despite Tim’s best efforts to disguise him. Dirt and coloring could only do so much for a man. Especially one with Prince Conner’s devastating looks. 

_Focus, Tim. People are trying to kill him, remember?_

Conner—Prince Conner, Tim corrected himself. The moment he started thinking of the Prince as an equal he would be lost—pulled Tim in close and Tim ignored the rush that burned through him at the proximity. “So where exactly is your mom?” He breathed in Tim’s ear. The hairs on the back of Tim’s neck stood up. 

“My _brother_.” Tim hissed back, pushing himself out of Prince Conner’s grasp. Tim scanned the room. He couldn’t see Dick. “He’s probably in the back. Come on.” Tim set out to the bar. The girl behind it he knew, though he wasn’t sure if she remembered him. 

“What can I do for you boys?” Helena Bertinelli asked. She looked much less deadly without her hood up. Not that Tim would ever tell her that. 

“I’m looking for Dick. Is he here?” Tim asked. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Prince Conner turn to grin at the girl sitting at the bar next to him. He winked and the girl giggled. Tim resisted the urge to step on his foot. He was still technically Tim’s superior. Tim could only get away with so much disrespect in the name of saving his life. Tim settled for jerking Prince Conner’s scarf to get his attention so Tim could glare at him. 

Conner rolled his eyes. 

“He’s chatting up the cook. Why?”

Tim slipped a hand (the one that had previously tugged at Prince Conner) into his left breast pocket. He pulled out a coin with a bat stamped on it. “He’s family.” Tim said, passing it to the Huntress. Even if she didn’t recognize him, she would recognize this. 

Helena’s eyebrows raised slightly, probably surprised at how Tim had gotten it despite being clearly young, but the most recent Robin was even younger than he had been when he’d joined the Order of the Bat so, really, she shouldn’t have been. 

“I’m sure he’d love for you two to visit him. Come with me.” Helena said. She unlatched the door to the bar and let Prince Conner and Tim in. 

In true Princely fashion His Highness followed Tim but not without a gallant bow to the girl he’d been flirting with and a pout for Tim. Didn’t he understand that Tim was trying to protect him? “Is _she_ your sister?” He whispered, nodding to Helena. His eyes scraped up and down Helena’s body and Tim’s insides did a funny twisty thing. He was probably just hungry, he thought. He wasn’t… jealous. No, that would be stupid. 

“No. But also, no.”

“Aw, why not? Let her decide for herself!”

“First of all, you’re too young for her. Secondly, we’re here to find a place to crash before we continue onto the Fortress, remember? We don’t have time for… that.” Tim waved a hand to Helena. 

“Oh, Captain. There’s _always_ time for-” Prince Conner imitated Tim with an amused smile, “’that.’” 

Tim ignored His Highness. Helena led them into the kitchen where Dick was sitting at a table doing exactly what Helena had said he was doing. “Dick, your brother came for a visit.” She said. Dick turned and Helena flicked him the Bat-token that Tim had handed to her. He glanced at it and his eyes flickered up to Tim and Prince Conner. A smile broke out on his face. 

“Brotherling!” He cried. He jumped up and ran over to wrap Tim in a giant bear hug. Prince Conner chuckled over Dick’s shoulder and Tim glared at him while he endured Dick’s enthusiasm. Dick finally set Tim down and his eyes stayed on Tim’s though Tim knew that he was fully aware of His Highness’s every breath. “What brings you here?”

“We need a place to stay. Can you put us up for the night?” Tim asked, wary of the cook in the corner. 

Dick’s face fell. “We’re all booked up, but I can give you a maid’s quarters. Tight rooming, but it’s still a roof.” Dick followed Tim’s eyes to the cook and nodded discreetly. So they were safe to speak freely in front of him. 

“We’ll take it.” Tim said when Prince Conner opened his mouth to protest. 

“Let’s get you settled in. Tiger will make you some of our best parts of the menu,” Dick said to the cook who just shrugged. Dick took one of Tim’s hands and began leading him to the room they’d been staying in. Dick finally turned to Prince Conner as they walked. “Who’s your… grubby friend?” 

“The prince.” Tim said. Prince Conner’s head whipped around to him. 

“I thought we were keeping a low profile.” Prince Conner said, eyes narrow. 

“Dick can keep a secret.” Tim asked. Dick raised an eyebrow, and Tim shook his head. He still hadn’t told His Highness about the Order of the Bat, just that Dick was his brother and would keep them safe. Krypton, His Highness still thought that Tim’s name was Alvin Draper. 

Dick made a face to tell Tim just what he thought about Tim’s methods but Tim ignored it. “Is it true, what they say?” Dick asked Prince Conner as they reached the door. Dick took a keyring out of his pocket and unlocked the small room. “You’re really a Kryptonian?” 

The door looked like it had been shoved in between cupboards. The room itself was small and had a sloped wooden roof. While the door’s hinges squeaked, the floorboard, Tim noticed appreciatively, did not. It was right under the hearth, Tim could tell, so it was relatively warm. There was one window up by the ceiling of the room, so they could see the snow fall outside. A small door presumably led to a privy and bath. Tim would fill it later for His Highness. It would be a good test of his magic to see if Prince Conner could warm it up for himself. 

“That’s what they say.” Prince Conner said glumly. He was clearly trying to copy Dick’s accent like Tim had told him to try, but his highborn lit still crept through. Maybe Tim would just have to keep him mute the whole journey. Not that Tim would mind that. Prince Conner walked into the room, frowning. 

“Like I said—it’s small. I know it’s not royal, but-”

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Dick.”

“Of course, Al.” Dick said. Tim’s fake name sounded weird coming from Dick’s lips. “We need to catch up.” He said, poking Tim. He glanced meaningfully at Prince Conner who’s back was turned to them. His Highness was inspecting the room, hands in his pockets. He walked soundlessly across the floor-something Tim hadn’t known he could do. All Prince Conner ever seemed to do was stomp. 

“Of course. Maybe later.”

“Should I fill the bath?” Dick asked. “I can send Helena to-”

“I’ll do it. But thank you.”

That was when Tim noticed the single bed. Tim would sleep on the floor then. 

Dick noticed it at the same time and a worried look came over his face. “I’d forgotten. I’ll pull some blankets from a guest. Just say that we ran out-”

“No.” Tim argued. He didn’t want to inconvenience Dick any more than he already had. “I’ll just sleep on our clothes. Besides, it’s warm here from the hearth so I won’t need any as actual blankets. I’ll be fine.”

“Al-”

“I mean it, Dick. Don’t lie to a guest for our sakes. Really, I have enough scarves on my body that I’ll have enough. What you’ve done is enough. Thank you.”

Prince Conner finally seemed to have noticed the single bed. He looked at Tim. Dick gave Tim an exasperated look. “I’m not a terrible host. I’d offer my own bed, but I won’t be the only one sleeping in it tonight...” Dick grinned sheepishly. “Alfie would kill me if I didn’t at least offer some of my own blankets though to make your little nest.” Tim began to object when Dick shut him down with a look. “I’ll be right back. Settle in.”

Dick turned and left, closing the door behind him. Prince Conner eyed the bed. “You can take it.” He said. Tim wondered if that was the first time that Prince Conner had ever offered something to Tim. It didn’t matter though because the point was mute. Tim wasn’t taking the bed. 

“You’re the prince. You take it.” Tim said. 

“If we get attacked you’re the one who’s going to save me, right Captain?” Prince Conner asked. He made no move to change. He watched Tim though. His face was stony. “You need to be well rested. You take the bed.”

Tim snorted. “Like you could ever sleep in anything less than a feather mattress. Take the bed, your Highness. I’m used to the floor.”

“Hey! I’ve slept on the floor before!” Prince Conner argued. 

“I very much doubt that what you were doing on that floor was sleeping.” Tim snapped. “Just take the cursed bed. This isn’t a discussion.”

Prince Conner bit the inside of his cheek. He sat on the bed. “You know, when you said ‘Hey Conner, let’s run for your life together, won’t that be fun?’ This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” 

It hadn’t happened like that. “Well, running from your father’s assassins isn’t exactly my idea of a good time either, your Highness.”

“Stop calling me that.” 

“Calling you what, your highness?”

“ _That_. ‘Your highness’. I’m the prince of nothing now.” Prince Conner grumbled. He kicked off his boots and curled up on the bed. 

Tim took an inventory of his weapons. Throwing knives, his short sword, two daggers from Bruce, his official Captain of the Guard knife. He’d probably have to get rid of that. It could identify them if someone saw the sigil. Tim hesitated. It meant something to him. A show of how far he’d come by himself, with no help from the Order of the Bat. 

“You’re still the Prince-”

“My father-King Lex wants me dead because I’ve shown a stupid small sign of a _possibility_ of Kryptonian Magic. Which-by the way-I have shown no other signs of. I have been disowned. I have no kingdom. My people want me dead. I have to slum in squalor and hide and run to a place I’ve never known. I am no prince.”

“You’re still _my_ Prince, your Highness.” Tim said. Prince Conner’s eyes shot up. “You will get your kingdom back. We will dethrone your father, and you will take your rightful place, your highness. That’s how it’s destined to be. You’re a Kryptonian.”

“ _Maybe_ -”

Tim didn’t want to have this argument again. He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Highness-"

"No. Maybe. _Maybe_ . Don't lie to Draper, you're not good at it." Tim winced. If only His Highness really knew. "I showed _one_ sign of _possibly_ being a Kryptonian. My father found out, because I'm an idiot and told him, and now he's trying to kill me because he's so cursedly paranoid of being unseated by a prophesy of a Kryptonian taking his country that he would rather have me killed than think I have any of their blood in me. When we get to the Fortress chances are I won't even be able to do anything once we're there because it was an… accident! A spark from somewhere that lit that curtain on fire! I mean I haven't be able to produce any other magic this entire trip and by god we had needed it two nights ago-"

"Highness." Tim snapped. Prince Conner turned to him sharply. Tim sat on the edge of the bed, taking Prince Conner's face in his hands. "You're a Kryptonian, and I know you're scared and I know you just want to rewind the clock but you can't do that now." He said, his voice slow and steady. Prince Conner looked like he was going to cry. "Take a deep breath." Conner inhaled shakily. "Good, now another one." Again His Highness did as Tim ordered. "I know you're scared, but I'm going to keep you safe, okay? That's my job. I'd rather die than fail. Have you ever known me to fail?" Prince Conner shook his head. "I _am_ going to keep you safe. I _am_ going to get you to the Fortress to train. And even if you _aren't_ a Kryptonian, you're going to learn how to fight and how to lead. And then, I _am_ going to help you unseat your tyrant of a father and take your rightful place on his throne and you _are_ going to be alright. Okay?"

Prince Conner nodded slowly. 

"You say I'm a terrible liar, do I look like I'm lying to you?" Conner shook his head. 

The door opened and Dick walked in, arms full of blankets. "Oh-!" He said softly when he saw them. Tim pulled away from Conner, willing himself not to flush. "Am I interrupting something?"

Prince Conner gave Dick a winning smile and replied in his horrible low-class accent: "Just your brother's rousing call-to-arms."

Dick winced. "Wow," he told Tim as Tim took the blankets from him, "his accent is _really_ bad." To which Prince Conner pouted. "You have your work cut out for you."

"I know." Tim replied to protests from Prince Conner. 

"If there's anything else-"

"Just food I think," Tim said gratefully. "Thanks for everything Dick-"

"Seriously, Al. Not a problem. You know that." Dick waved to Prince Conner before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Tim dropped the blankets on the ground and began making a little nest for himself to sleep in. "So…" Prince Conner said, picking at the fraying blanket on the bed. "Why didn't you ever tell me you had a brother? You know, _before_."

Tim didn't look up from the blankets. "I don't know. I guess you never asked. You're my boss, Highness, my past life never really seemed like something to talk about."

Prince Conner was quiet for a moment. It was so out of character that Tim looked up at him. "What?" 

"Were." His Highness said. 

"What?"

"Were, Alvin. Maybe I’ll be your prince again some day, but I think that at this point I'm no longer your boss-"

Tim snorted, cutting Prince Conner off. "I'm going to draw some water from the well."

"What? _Now_? It's death out there!"

"We both need a bath, Highness. I'm getting water. Eat something while I'm gone." He righted his scarf around himself and grabbed a water bucket from the privy. 

The wind outside hadn't died down, and it was barely light enough to see anything, if you could get through the layers of snow which fell fast. 

Tim managed to make it to the well and chip off the top level of ice enough that he could dunk the bucket in and fill it. 

The water was freezing. Tim's fingers were wet through the gloves and felt as though they'd fall off from the wind hitting them. He trudged on, further filling the bucket and returning to the inn and privy three more times. It gave him time to breathe and think. They'd need to travel quickly to get to the Fortress. After Conner fell asleep he'd plan out their route with Dick. Unfortunately they wouldn't be able to stay every night in a BatHouse but they'd want to hit as many as possible on their way up north. Even in Bruce's Kingdom they wouldn't be safe, and they'd have other issues too, like the manic bounty hunters and bandits that no doubt have heard that Conner has been chased out of his land. 

The final time he arrived with the bucket Prince Conner had finished his own dinner and was watching Tim expectantly. 

"What?" Tim asked as he poured the water into the tub and then began taking off his outer layer of clothing. 

"You know, I don't need to-" Prince Conner waved vaguely to the tub. 

"Maybe you don't, or think you don't," Tim wrinkled his nose, "but _I_ certainly do. Come here."

Prince Conner walked over, confused by the order. "Why?" He asked. 

Tim nodded to the tub. "Unless you want to bathe in ice cold water, heat it up."

His Highness blinked. "You mean… use my…"

"Yes, your magic."

"I can't do that!"

"I'm pretty sure you can, in fact, set things on fire-"

"I did that _once_! One time!" 

"You set a house on fire."

"It was just the curtains!"

"Maybe at first. But the entire building _did_ burn down, whether you burnt it yourself or not."

That earned Tim a scowl. Tim just rolled his eyes. "Heat up the water."

" _How_?" Prince Conner demanded. "I've only ever done it once and every time I've tried since then I've gotten nothing!"

"Maybe by yourself, but now you have me to help you and an ice cold bath as encouragement. Let's recreate what you were doing when it happened-"

Prince Conner grinned at him. "At least buy me dinner first, Captain."

It wasn't that Tim didn't know the specifics of their last night in the castle. He did, and he knew exactly what (read: who) His Highness had been doing that night, so Tim just rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant, your Highness."

The Prince may have known what Tim meant but he clearly didn't like it. His ears turned pink and he cleared his throat. "Do-do I _have_ to?"

"If you feeling hot and bothered is how we're going to begin getting a grasp on your magic, then yeah. You have to."

Prince Conner turned towards the water. He glared at it intensely as Tim watched, arms crossed. A minute or so passed before he turned to Tim and said: "I can't do it when you're watching."

"What?"

"It feels like you're judging me."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Fine." He turned around. "Better?" He asked. 

"Well, no, not really. But whatever." Prince Conner pouted. They waited in silence again for about a minute before Tim said: "Are you even trying-?"

"Yes! I'm trying! But I can still feel you judging me!"

Tim scowled at the wall. "Well? What do you want me to do? I can't just change the way you perceive me."

"I don't know," the rebuttal came out as more of a whine, "sing or something."

Tim snorted. "Oh you do _not_ want me to sing."

The Prince mumbled something under his breath. "What?" Tim asked. 

"Nothing. Just… talk or something then?"

Tim shifted from foot to foot. "Fine. What do you want me to talk about?"

"How about the Not-Sister of yours?" 

Tim was surprised, and he felt something painful ache in his chest, though he had no idea why. "Helena? Why?"

"I don't know. Why not?"

"There's not much to say about her. She's just kind of… Helena. She's a family friend. She works with Dick." 

"How'd you meet?" 

"Like I said, family friend."

"Well, I don't really know anything about your family either." 

What could he tell Conner without mentioning the Order of the Bat or Bruce? "I’ve got a bunch of siblings. Dad always liked taking in strays."

"Well, that explains it."

"Explains what?"

"Me. This."

Tim was quiet for a moment. "You know I'm not… I'm doing this just to get you on the throne or Lex off. Or out of some sort of twisted… obligation to you. I genuinely believe in you. I believe you would be a good king. You're not a… burden. Or a means to an end. You're not a stray. I chose to be by your side and keep you safe."

Prince Conner must have been uncomfortable because then he said: "Tell me more about your family."

"Why?" 

"I hardly know anything about you."

"But is this… _helping_?" In case Conner had forgotten why they were doing this in the first place. 

"Well…" Conner admitted sheepishly. "Maybe talking about _Dick_ would but-"

"Ew!"

"Oh come on Vinnie, he's clearly… _you_ _know_ ,"

"He's my brother and we're changing the subject now, Highness."

"Whatever you say, Captain." Tim heard Conner snicker. 

"How about we talk about Tana? She's what started this, isn't she?"

Conner was quiet for a moment. "I don't want to talk about her."

"Okay, then what?"

"Look, clearly this isn't working. Let's just freeze our balls off in the bath and then-"

"I really think-"

"Alvin, it's not _happening_." 

Tim sighed, turning back around. "Fine. We'll try again another day. You're probably just tired." 

But Prince Conner didn't sound as hopeful. "Yeah. Whatever."

"You bathe first. I'll get something to eat."

"Fine."

Tim turned, casting one last look at Prince Conner who looked miserable, and then walked out into the kitchen to eat.

Tiger heated him up some stew and bread, and Tim ate so fast he thought he'd be sick. It was good, and Tim hadn't realized until now how hungry he was.

"Don't puke now." Dick. 

Tim patted the seat next to him, and Dick sat, stealing some stew with a lump of bread. "So little brother… the Prince, huh?"

"Luthor wanted to kill him." Tim responded between bites. 

"And he's calling you 'Alvin'."

"Well, I couldn't just use my real name."

" _Tim_."

"I was undercover, Dick."

"I know! But you _still_ haven't told him?"

"He's just had his whole world flipped upside down. His father is trying to kill him and suddenly his boring old Captain of the Guard is taking him by the hand and telling him that he knows where the last Kryptonian stronghold is and that we have to run there now or his father will _succeed_ . Adding the whole 'oh by the way I'm actually Prince Tim Wayne from the Kingdom of Gotham, yeah that Kingdom of Gotham that's constantly on the verge of war with your Metropolis! Oh! And get this, I'm actually a _spy_ who's been working for the underground Order of the Bat to unseat Lex the Tyrant for as long as you've known me, which has been a pretty long time, if I do say so myself' didn't really seem like something he needed to deal with at that moment."

"Tim.. you _have_ to tell him." Tim opened his mouth to argue but Dick cut him off. "Maybe not _all_ of it, but definitely the part about the Order."

"You really want… _him_ to know about the Order?"

"Again, not all of it. Just that… you're in it. What we want to do."

"I don't want him to think I'm using him." 

"You're using him just as much as he's using you. Besides, telling him is you really _not_ using him. You're telling him what he's getting into, now he has a choice."

"I suppose you're right." Tim mumbled. He picked at the chunk of bread in his hands. 

"So he's really a Kryptonian? The rumors are true?" Even Tiger seemed interested to know. Tim nodded. 

"I was there for some of it. He lit the house on fire with his _eyes_."

A silence settled over the room. "Tim." Dick said at last, "just… be careful."

Tim snorted. "Please, he can't even summon a heat-shimmer, he won't hurt me."

"I thought you said he burned down a building." Tiger interrupted. 

"He did. But he still doesn't know how to trigger it yet, so we probably won't get anywhere soon." Tiger made a disapproving face, as if Prince Conner's inability to create a spark was Tim's fault. "I'm working with him on it."

"Kryptonians don't just have fire magic though." Dick protested.

"You mean the mythical strength? The invulnerability? Breath of ice? I _know_ , Dick. I'm being careful. Promise."

Dick seemed comforted enough for now because he relented.

"Listen, I actually need your help with something," Dick's eyes lit up, "can you get a map? I want to plot our course."

* * *

Tim crept into the room hours later. The oil lamps still burned so Tim made his way to the privy for a quick bath. The water was warmer now, but still colder than Tim would have liked or was used to. He scrubbed himself quickly, ridding himself of the mud and grime from the road. He'd crawl back into his clothes and then into his… nest. 

His and Dick's route looked actually doable. Tim has been surprised to see how little they would have to find places to sleep on their own. A couple times they'd have to sleep on the road, but Tim could do that. And if Tim could then Prince Conner _would_ , whether he liked it or not. 

He climbed out of the bath and crept into the room, wrapped in his towel. The room was warm enough. Tim's toes and fingers were cold, but he wasn't freezing. He dressed and then dried his hair. 

Prince Conner slept soundly, his handsome face once again clean from dirt and mud. Tim would have to redo his disguise before they left, anyone as pretty as the Prince would bring them unwanted notice, even if the people didn't recognize him.

The physique would be a little harder to hide. Tim was tempted to put a rock in his shoe to give him a limp or some other misidentifying feature but Prince Conner needed to be able to run at a word so they couldn't do that. 

Prince Conner's eyes were squeezed shut, his hands clenching the inn's blanket, he was bunched over and curled up. The firelight flickered shadows across his face. Tonight he'd probably have a nightmare, if it got bad enough Tim would wake him up. 

Tim tiptoed over to the oil lamps and put them out, before returning to his nest. He pulled one of his scarf-blankets over his toes and shifted on his scarf-pillow. Tim fell asleep thinking of the many ways he could hide Conner's beautiful features. Conner really was giving Bruce's disguise tactics a run for their money, huh?

* * *

Prince Conner was making noises. A small whimper or whine would escape his mouth occasionally. His eyes were still closed, his hands clenched and his toes curled. 

Tim woke up freezing. Conner's nightmares must have started. He felt around in the dark for Conner's bed. His fingers were numb from the cold and he was shivering. Clearly whatever hearth sat above them had gone out for the night. Tim blinked a couple times before realizing he could make out something vague in the night. Which... shouldn't have been possible. 

Two pinpoints of dim brightness. 

His Highness made a sound in the back of his throat. At least he didn't sleep talk, and his nightmares didn't make him scream. 

Tim felt his way up to the bed, only barely able to see anything from the glow where Conner was. 

"Highness?" Tim asked, nudging Conner gently. 

Prince Conner sucked in a breath, and made a small noise. The glow brightened and Tim noticed that it was coming from his closed eyes. 

"Prince Conner? Your highness? It's okay, it's just a dream." He touched Prince Conner's temple. 

His Highness had always run hot. Touching him was like sticking your hand in warm wool. Always had been. Tonight though, Prince Conner's forehead was warmer than usual. Not hot enough to be a fever but-

Prince Conner made a different noise. This one deep and breathy. Tim frowned. Was he having… trouble breathing?

"Your Highness!" He gave Prince Conner a sharp poke. Still he didn't wake up. " _Conner_." This time Tim pinched his check (the only part of Prince Conner he could really see). 

Prince Conner's hips buckled and at once Prince Conner was awake, and his eyes were open and Tim was being roughly pushed back as _fire_ poured from his eyes. 

His Highness shut them quickly. Tim stared, mouth open. Sure, he'd seen it before but not even remotely this closely. For a minute the room was warm and there was a brilliant flash of light and in the next, it was cold and dark again, but there was an added smell of scorched wood and Prince Conner's heavy breathing. 

"Stop. Stop stop stop _stop stop stopstopstop_." Prince Conner chanted, his hands over his eyes, extinguishing the light in the room.

But how could he use his heat magic if he was having a nightmare? It was only triggered (to Tim's knowledge) by-

Oh. 

The sounds, the way Prince Conner reacted to being woken up… 

"Good dream?" He asked lamely. 

If Prince Conner could glare at him without frying him, Tim was sure he would. 

Tim shivered. It was freezing in here. 

"I don't want to talk about it. _Why_ would you wake me up?" Prince Conner snarled. 

"I thought you were having a nightmare." Tim wanted to keep his fingers on His Highness' skin. He was so warm and Tim was so cold. Tim gently placed a hand unseeingly somewhere on his torso when Prince Conner hissed and pushed away, breaking contact. His heavy breathing was one of the few sounds in the room.

"Just-Just give me a minute." He begged. He huddled on the other side of the bed, eyes still covered until he managed to catch his breath. 

"If you need to-" Tim waved vaguely even though His Highness couldn't see it, "I can leave-" 

" _No._ " So Tim stayed put. "I'm-I'm fine. I just.. I'll be right back." Prince Conner scrambled out of the bed, knocking over things and stumbling his way to the privy where the old bathwater sat. There was a sharp noise and a brightness that burned Tim's eyes, and Prince Conner hacked out a cough as Tim saw a puff of steam waft out the door before the light was gone once again. 

"Well." His Highness said from the privy. "The bathwater's hot now."

Tim couldn't help but snicker which turned into a full body shiver. Maybe a hot bath wasn't such a bad idea. 

After a small amount of time, Tim was about to go into the privy to check on Prince Conner (and maybe that bath, which would hopefully still be warm) when His Highness stumbled out. It took Tim a moment to realize what exactly Prince Conner had to have been doing in there that had taken so long. Tim was glad of two things, first that the darkness hid his full face blush, and second, that he had decided to stay put. 

Prince Conner tripped over Tim's nest as he made his noisy way back to the bed. "I'm sorry for waking you."

The was a second then: "I'm glad you did. Imagine if I don't know… overheated them, and then BAM! my eyes and the whole room explode."

"Kryptonians are super strong, remember? Also invulnerable."

"Ah yes, but small, angry, scary, and frankly mysterious Captains of the Guard aren't generally, or is there something you'd like to tell me?" He said, fumbling over to the bed. Prince Conner's warm hands patted the air and Tim's face as he tried to figure out where he was. Tim took his forearms and led him to the bed, sitting him down.

His Highness sat. Tim felt his legs brush Tim's own. 

Tim still hadn't let go of Prince Conner's arms, warmth flooding through them. 

"Wow." His Highness hissed. "Al, your fingers are fucking freezing." He took Tim's hands in his own and brought them closer, placing them in his… was that his _armpit_? 

"Ew." 

"Krypton, is all of you this cold? Come here."

Tim tried to pull his hands back but Prince Conner strongarmed him into an odd hug of a sort. His warm body pressing against Tim's. "Armpits are some of the warmest parts of the body." Prince Conner argued. He was right, of course, but it still grossed Tim out. Or, well, it _should_ have. But there was something… inexplicably comforting about the whole ordeal. Something Tim didn't really want to examine much further. 

"Please release me, your Highness. We should really go back to sleep-"

"Uh uh. No way you're going back to sleeping on the ground." Tim could feel Prince Conner's breath by his ear. Tim shook and he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or… something else. 

The cold. It was the cold. 

"And freeze to death? I don't think so. We'll manage on the bed. And- _What the fuck?_ " He'd pulled Tim close enough that Tim's feet had brushed up against the inside of His Highness's thighs (which were, for anyone who cares, so warm that Tim wanted to curl up between them--not that he would. He was-it was just warm. That was all). 

"See, you don't want to share a be-" Tim said already pulling out of Prince Conner's embrace, ignoring the way something in his belly plummeted. 

"Nope. Not getting out of here that fast-" Prince Conner reeled him back in, legs tangled in his, arms and fingers intertwined. So close Tim could smell him and his-

Tim tried to break the hold. He should have been able to. Prince Conner was strong and athletic for sure but Tim had always been stronger than him. It was his job to be. But Tim couldn't break free. "Highness, let go." He didn't, he just held Tim tighter. "Highness- _Conner_ , you're _hurting_ me." 

There was a gasp and immediately Tim was released. "I'm what? I can't be- But- You're-"

"Clearly some of that Kryptonian strength." Tim mumbled, rubbing at his wrists. 

"Oh Krypton, Alvin I'm _so_ sorry I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright, Highness. You're still learning your own strength." Tim said. But really his mind was more focused on the fact that without… _cuddling…_ His Highness like they'd been, Tim was shivering again. "Where are you? Come back." Tim mumbled, reaching out with hand until he found Prince Conner. 

"I don't want to hurt you. The _last_ thing I want is to hurt you Al-" He brushed Tim's hand away.

Tim's teeth were chattering now. "You know now. It's fine, really. Come back, I'm _freezing_."

As if drawn to his words like a fly to honey, he was back in Prince Conner's arms. Only this time he was barely being held. As if he would break if Prince Conner breathed too hard. 

Tim took a deep breath as the warmth settled in his bones. "Okay." He finally ordered himself to say. "Okay. Okay. Time to head back to bed. We need to sleep." He began pulling himself out of His Highness's hold when protests arose again. "No! What part of you're so cold that you're shaking aren't you getting! You're sleeping with me in the bed! Deal with it!"

"Highness, the bed is tiny." _And you're… you_. 

"Alvin. Think of it as an order from your prince. Get in the bed."

Tim scowled at him (not that Prince Conner could see it in the dark) and snapped: "Fine."

As soon as he laid down on the bed, huddling close to the Prince for warmth, he felt his eyes begin to droop closed. He felt _warm_ and Prince Conner was a little bit soft. Tim rested his head on Prince Conner's shoulder, practically on top of him. The blanket at his back. He could feel His Highness shifting beneath him to get comfortable. 

"When we get back to the Capital, you tell my men that we cuddled and I'll make sure you _wished_ you were killed by assassins." Tim grumbled to him, momentarily forgetting that after Lex was defeated, he wouldn't be heading back to Metropolis. He had his own Kingdom to help run. 

"I promise Alvin, your reputation is safe with me."

Tim yawned loudly. "Tim." He said.

"What?"

"My name," he mumbled into Conner's chest, "is Tim." And then he fell asleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> Not shown: Tim and Kon not getting any further sleep that night because "Hey, what the FUCK does that mean?" 
> 
> find me on tumblr @dianaraven and @traya-sutton


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